An electrooptical converter containing an intermediate carrier of relief recording of a line composed of a transparent support in a form of a plane-parallel plate or a prism of total internal reflection with a transparent electroconductive layer or a transparent gel-like layer sequentially applied to it, and a system of parallel ribbon control and ground electrodes applied to a second transparent support and allocated above the gel-like layer with a gap; a block of sources of voltage signals connected to the control electrodes; an optical system of visualization of a relief information, functioning for gleam and consisting of a condenser and a cylindrical objective—an anamorphote, a visualizing diaphragm, a means for vertical scanning of the line and a screen is known (USSR Certificate of Authority 678519, Int.Cl. G11B 7/00, 1979. to Yury Guscho. Physics of reliefography. Moscow, NAUKA, 1999, p. 526). [1].
A disadvantage of the known device is the necessity of using an optics functioning for gleam which has very low relief sensitivity to electrical signals and a low contrast that does not allow receipt of an image of high enough quality. The absence of synchronization of means for vertical scanning of the line with a source of voltage signals in the known device reduces stability of the image on the screen, i.e. impairs its quality. The quality of the image is also impaired as a result of a phase noise produced by the electrodes which should be made transparent.
Another known electrooptical converter comprises an intermediate carrier of relief recording of the line composed of the transparent support in a form of a plane-parallel plate or a prism of total internal reflection with the transparent conducting layer or the transparent gel-like layer sequentially applied to it and a system of parallel ribbon control and ground electrodes applied to the second support and allocated above the gel-like layer with a gap; a block of sources of voltage signals connected to the control electrodes, a light filter, an optical system of visualization of the relief information, a visualizing diaphragm, a means for vertical scanning of the line synchronized with the source of voltage signals, and a screen (Patent RU (11) 2031624 (13) C1) [2].
A disadvantage of this known device is a necessity of usage of ribbon control and ground electrodes that restricts resolution capability of the device and therefore does not allow to receive an image of a high enough quality and a high contrast. Another disadvantage is a poor quality of semi-tone information because of the difficulties of transformation of distribution of the potential on the ribbon electrodes into distribution of illuminance on the screen.
The closest analog of the present invention is a known electrooptical converter containing three intermediate carriers of relief recording of the line, each carrier comprises a transparent support in a form of a plane-parallel plate or a prism of the total internal reflection with a transparent conducting layer and a transparent gel-like layer sequentially applied to it, and a system of parallel ribbon control and ground electrodes applied to a second support and allocated with a gap above the gel-like layer; a block of sources of voltage signals connected to the control electrodes of all three intermediate carriers of relief recording of the line; three optical systems of visualization of the relief information, each system consisting of a light source, a lighting convertible lens consisting of a cylindrical and a spherical objectives, a prism of total internal reflection and a projective convertible lens consisting of a cylindrical and a spherical objectives; two dichroic mirrors, a visualizing diaphragm, a means for vertical scanning of the line consisting of a mirror drum put on a shaft of an electromotor; a screen; a photosensor and a synchronization device, the output terminal of said device is connected to the block of sources of voltage signals, and an input terminal—to a photosensor (Patent RU 2080641 [3]; International PCT Application WO 01/48531 A3; 05.07.2001, inventor: Yury Guscho [4]).
A disadvantage of the above device is a necessity of usage of ribbon control and ground electrodes, which restricts resolution capability of the device and therefore does not allow obtaining an image of high enough quality. Another disadvantage is a poor quality of information imaging due to the lack of orientation of the control and ground electrodes with respect to the light source. Moreover, the lack of an objective after the stop diaphragm reduces operational possibilities and quality of the imaging of the electrooptical converter.
Moreover, the existing gel-like layers, methods of their production and as well as the methods of production and design of the line modulators do not meet the modern requirements.
A known gel-forming composition, which is close to the claimed one comprises a basic compound—polymer organovinylpolysiloxane—100 mass parts, a cross-linking agent—methylhydridpolysiloxan—0.5 mass parts; a component that increases adhesion—a silane compound—0.5 mass parts, a platinum catalytic agent—0.03 mass parts (U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,280; 11.07.1995; Hurogasu Harc, Masayuki Sheno) [5].
A known gel-forming composition is prepared by mixing of the components in the temperature range of from ambient temperature up to 60° C. However, this composition is characterized by a low limit of structural toughness. Therefore the composition can't be used for a preparation of high-quality and long-living gel-like light-modulating medium.
The closest analog of the composition of the present invention is the composition for obtaining a light-modulating medium consisting of a basic compound—polymer α,ω-dihydroxypolydimethylsiloxane—100 mass parts, a cross-linking agent tetraethoxysilan—7 mass parts, a plasticizing agent—a polydimethylsiloxane liquid—600 mass parts and a catalytic agent—stannum diethyldicaprylate—4 mass parts. [5]
However, the known composition does not allow to produce gel-like light-modulating_medium of sufficient durability without hermetic sealing of the volume the gel is placed in.
The following method of production of gel-like layers is used for preparation of the gel-like light-modulating medium from the prototype composition. First of all, a 10-30% solution of α,ω-dihydroxypolydimethyl-siloxane with a molecular mass of 1-2×104 g/mol in a polydimethylsiloxane liquid with a molecular mass of 0.6-1×103 g/mol is prepared. Then tetraethoxysilane acting as a cross-linking agent is added to this solution in the ratio of tetraethoxysilane to α,ω-dihydroxypolydimethylsiloxane from 0.8:1 up to 1.5:1. Then the blend is mechanically mixed during 20-40 min. The process of gelation begins instantly when the catalytic agent and the cross-linking agent are added to the blend. According to the cited invention, said process proceeds during 1-3 days. The application of the gel-like medium to the support is carried out by the following method: the transparent support covered with the transparent conducting layer is poured with a solution of the substance increasing the gel-like layer adhesion to the support. Then said transparent support is poured with the gel-like composition. The support is then covered with an additional glass plate. In the known method this additional glass plate is beforehand coated with a layer of substance decreasing adhesion of the gel-like layer. Metal, for example, chrome, aluminum or nickel, is used as said coating. The presence of a layer decreasing adhesion of the gel-like layer to the additional glass plate allows to increase the number of the layers to be separated from the additional glass plate upon its separation from the layer [4].
For realization of a constant speed of polymer cross-linking in the known method, it is proposed to carry out a chemical reaction of structuring and to expose the layer to the air after the separation of the additional glass plate in a compartment with a constant temperature within ±1.5° C. in the temperature range of from 10° C. up to 70° C. The access of moisture to the surface of the gel-like layer is necessary for final formation of a net of the polymer molecules, so the gel is to be exposed to the air with the moistness not less than 20% for 3-5 days.
A disadvantage of the above method is the usage of a metal as an anti-adhesion coat. After two-three times of use, the metal (because of its softness) is scratched and does not allow to obtain a layer of the high quality any longer. Its continuous renewal is a technologically laborious and an expensive process.
Moreover, the necessity of the strict maintenance of the temperature regime of the cross-linking reaction and particular moistness complicates the gel-like medium preparation process and accordingly the production of gel-like layers with reproducible characteristics.
The object of the present invention is an expansion of a range of applicability of the device and an improvement of the quality of imaging on the device of perception of the optical signal, as well as the preparation of a gel-like deformable medium, which is stable under the continuous exploitation, providing of the modified methods of its preparation and the forming of an optical gel-like layer in the line modulator.